Author: Dick Mangrum

  Northbound traffic on I-85 at Fair Play was re-routed into an emergency lane today as public safety responders dealt with a tractor-trailer truck that jackknifed and wound up in the median pressed against cable.  Chief Larry Wilkerson of the Fair Play Volunteer Fire Department said there were no injuries.  They were able to keep northbound traffic flowing by using […]

The police in Seneca say they’ve arrested a man who is accused of unwanted touching.  The police announcement states River Allen Argabright was jailed on the charge of assault and battery second degree.  On Sunday the police were sent to a local grocery store and started their investigation of the incident that led to the arrest.  The victim was identified […]

This announcement this morning:  “The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is announcing a second arrest today in connection with a recent homicide that occurred on Padgett Street, which is on the Utica Mill Hill, near Seneca.   20 year old Stanley Eugene Earl, Jr. of Scott Circle in Pendleton was booked into the Oconee County Detention Center around 9:12pm yesterday on […]

Their style of laid-back dress and the happy go lucky nature of the group attracted attention yesterday during the lunch hour at a Seneca restaurant.  A Parrot Head club has organized in Oconee County, and its members enjoy the county’s lake lifestyle, but with a bent to help fellow man.  This club of fun people also has designated Seneca’s Golden […]

Paul Cain and Annie Caggiano recently got together for a talk about economic development and what Cain, as an Oconee County councilman, would like to see county government accomplish in the next year.  Cain also serves as the chairman of council’s economic and development committee.  Caggiano is the president/CEO of the public-private Oconee Economic Alliance that works to bolster economic […]

The public information officer for the Oconee public schools is doing exactly what a PIO should do, in the estimation of her boss.  Dr. Michael Thorsland, district superintendent, bragged last night on how clear a picture that Jennifer Dodd is showing of the true impact of the COVID-19 virus within the county public schools.  You simply have to go to […]

As much as anyone, Michael Thorsland watches the case numbers reported by the state health agency.  Last night the Oconee superintendent told the county trustees that, in recent days, he sees a downward trend in the daily number of COVID-19 cases recorded by the state DHEC.  It gives him hope that if a trend such as this continues, Oconee will […]

Dr. Michael Thorsland, superintendent, expressed pride tonight that, in his view, the Oconee County public schools have since the arrival of COVID-19 been able to educate their students “as close to normal” as any other school district.  At tonight’s meeting, the superintendent referred to the combination of in-class and virtual learning conducted during the last few months of last year […]

There appears little likelihood that the Oconee school trustees tonight will make any change to the rules that do not require students to wear masks in the classrooms and school buildings.  But the controversial topic got a lot of comment during the public’s part of the meeting when it is permissible to address the trustees directly.  Unlike last month’s meeting […]